Love Sickness
by laughannie711
Summary: Sakura finds Lee passed out at the training grounds. She spends her day off taking care of him as he recovers from the flu. And some interesting stuff happens. sakulee, leesaku.


Love sickness

Summery: Sakura finds Lee passed out at the training grounds. She spends her day off taking care of him as he recovers from the flu. And stuff happens. sakulee, leesaku.

It was a beautiful day. One that she intended on making the best of. It was her first day off in over two months. She had been busy at the hospital all week, seeing as it was packed full of patients for flu session.

She took the opportunity of peace to walk through the woods. The birds were singing, and there wasn't a gray cloud for miles around. A swift breeze drifted through her silky pink hair. The temperature was a bit warm for her taste, but otherwise it was the perfect day.

As she wandered farther and farther into the woods, she noticed that she was nearing Rock Lee's normal training grounds. She hadn't intentionally gone that way, but now that she was there; she decided to see how he was.

Since the chuunin exams, when he saved her from that sound trio, she gained a certain respect for the boy. Then, when Naruto left to train with the toad Sanin, the two of them spent were able to spend some quality time together. He even helped her train at times. They became close friends. Even though Lee still held feeling for her, he would never push her. And because of that, her respect for him grew. Now she was seventeen, and their friendship has only matured since then.

Pushing a bush out of her path, she stepped into the open area with a smile. A quick survey of the training ground, and her grin faded. It was completely empty.

She was about to leave, when she saw a blur of orange on the ground. Closer inspection revealed it to be an orange leg warmer, attached to a leg that was sticking out from behind a post. She raised an eyebrow, and decided to check it out.

She neared the post, slowly peaking over the side. It was Lee. But…he was sleeping. His cheeks were flushed and she quickly became aware of the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. She watched him shiver and make a small whining noise in his sleep.

'He doesn't look well!' Thought Sakura. She bent down and brought her hand to his head, just before sharply pulling it away.

'He's burning up!' she inwardly screamed. She took hold of his shoulders and gently shook him awake.

"Lee! Lee wake up." Said Sakura. He fluttered his eyelids open half way, and gave her a weak smile.

"Heeyyy Sakura. How are you? And why are you wearing that giant hat?" he asked. She blinked and brought her hand to the top of her head. Just as she thought…she wasn't wearing any hat.

"I think you're hallucinating, Lee." Said Sakura. "What are you doing out here like this!?" Lee winced at her tone.

"Please Sakura, not so loud. I had to train…and I guess I fell asleep." Said Lee, standing on shaky legs. He wavered a bit, attempting to gain his balance.

"No Lee, don't push yourself. Come with me, I'm going to take you home. You shouldn't be training when you're like this." Said Sakura.

"Thank you for your concern Sakura, but I am…" he trailed off. "When did this forest get so many trees?" asked Lee, looking up towards the treetops. She sighed and shook her head in frustration.

"You need rest, Lee. Come on, I'll take you home." Said Sakura.

'So much for my day off.' Thought Sakura.

"But-" he started.

"No buts! Now follow me." she interrupted him. He sighed and followed Sakura out of the forest. As they reached the road, his legs grew weak. He stumbled forward, nearly falling face first onto the pavement. She gasped and rushed to his aid, catching him in her arms. She held him close, trying to catch her breath.

"Thank you…Um…you can let go of me now." Said Lee. She snapped back into reality and blushed.

"Right. Sorry." Said Sakura, releasing him from her embrace.

'What was that feeling?' thought Sakura.

"Sakura?" asked Lee.

"Hm?"

"Where are you taking me?" asked Lee.

"I'm taking you back to my place. I want to be able to keep an eye on you, so I'm going to put you in my guest room." Answered Sakura. Lee stared at her in disbelief.

"That is very kind of you, Sakura, but I can care for myself. I do not want to be a burden to you on your day off. You have been looking forward to today for a week." Said Lee.

"I don't care. I'll have other days off. Right now I just want to make sure you're okay." Said Sakura. He smiled. They continued walking side by side. Lee would occasionally sway or stumble, but Sakura was there to help.

"Here we are." Said Sakura, stopping in front of an apartment building to take out her keys. Lee waited patiently until she opened the front door. He shivered, and stepped inside.

"My apartment is on the second floor. Think you can make it?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah…" said Lee. She walked up the stairs, and he trudged behind her. She unlocked the door to her apartment. It was small, but comfortable. It gave off the impression that it wasn't very lived in, which was understandable since she lived a very hectic lifestyle.

In the living room, there was a couch against the wall, a lamp, and a bookshelf with too many books on it. It was attached to the kitchen, which was quaint. She led him into a pleasant room with white walls. The bed was neatly made, until she pulled the covers back.

"What do you have on under that jumpsuit of yours?" asked Sakura. Lee blushed a deep shade of red.

"Uh…boxers…why?" asked Lee.

"You need to get out of that thing. It's drenched in sweat. Take it off and get into bed." Said Sakura. He opened his mouth to object, but Sakura gave him a stern glare and he immediately shut it again. He nodded in defeat.

"I'll go make some tea." Said Sakura. She left the room and walked into the kitchen, putting a fresh pot of water onto the stove. Lee carefully removed his jumpsuit, noticing that it was indeed, drenched in sweat. He crawled under the covers, enjoying the softness of the sheet.

She returned to the room, carrying a bowl of cold water and a rag. Lee pulled the covers up high, half in embarrassment, and half because he was freezing. She soaked the rag in the water, and twisted it to pour out the extra water. He shivered when she placed it over his forehead.

"This should help bring down your fever." Said Sakura. His face was pale and sickly looking, but it was brightened by a smile.

"You are so kind Sakura. Just another reason to love you." Said Lee, shutting his eyes. Sakura tried to hide her blush.

She continued dipping the rag in for fresh water every so often, and pressing it to his forehead. He was soon asleep, and she found herself watching his chest rise and fall beneath the covers. After a while, she unintentionally matched her breathing with his. It was rhythmic and soothing. Without thinking, she slipped her hand in his, holding it tight.

Something deep inside, didn't want to take her eyes off him.

'What's wrong with me?' she thought.

'You know what it is.' Chimed Inner Sakura. She growled under her breath.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the teapot in the kitchen released a shrill, high-pitched whistle. It startled her, but she kept calm. Lee continued to sleep peacefully.

A small, pained whine was heard when she pulled her hand away. His face contorted into a sorrowful frown. She hesitated, before rushing to the kitchen to remove the pot from the stove. The whistle came to a stop, and she put it on a potholder so it wouldn't burn the counter.

Deciding that it needed some time to cool, she returned to the guest bedroom. Lee was clutching the sheets between his fingers. Sakura took a seat in the chair beside the bed, where she had been just moments before. She gently placed her hand over his, and watched his body relax. A smile tugged at her lips. It was pleasant knowing that her touch had that affect on him.

Pulling down the covers, she focused her chakra into her other hand, and placed it on his chest. He shivered instantly, but didn't wake up. She helped to regulate his breathing, and cleared his chest of congestion. When she finished, she couldn't help but trace the outline of his abs. He looked good under that green jumpsuit. She sat back, and pulled the covers over him.

Her thoughts were broken when he sat up with a jolt. His face was very pale, and had a slight green tinge to it. After spending years in the hospital, she had come to know that face quite well.

"Bathroom's just down the hall, on the right." Said Sakura.

"Thank you." he mumbled quickly, as he brought a hand up to cover his mouth, and made a mad dash for the bathroom. She sighed, and walked back into the kitchen to make the tea.

A few minutes past, and Lee walked into the kitchen. His usually perfectly shaped hair was now disheveled, and his bangs clung to his forehead with sweat. Some color had returned to his face.

"Welcome back." Said Sakura. She handed Lee a steaming hot cup of tea, and he accepted it with a smile.

"I am sorry about that. But I feel better now." He said with a contented tone. She giggled.

"That's good." She said, taking a sip of her own tea.

"Thank you so much for helping me. It was very kind of you to bring me here. I am sorry that I have ruined your day." He said with his head hung low. She smirked. He looked cute like that

…Wait…what?

She shook away her thoughts and faced him.

"You didn't ruin my day, Lee." Said Sakura. "I really didn't have anything to do anyway." That was partly the truth. And she did feel good being here with Lee. It felt nice.

'Are you finally accepting the truth yet?' asked Inner Sakura with a smug look on her face. Sakura inwardly growled.

Lee smiled at her kind words, and sipped at his tea. He placed his cup on the table and gasped.

"What? Was it too hot?" asked Sakura worriedly.

"I am still not wearing any clothes!" shouted Lee, wrapping his arms across his chest in a desperate attempt to cover himself. Sakura giggled and pushed his hands to back his side.

"It's alright. I've already seen you so there's no point in hiding yourself now." She said with a smile. Lee blushed.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Don't be. I like the view." She said, taking another sip of her tea. Lee's blush intensified.

'Holy mother of God! Did I just say what I think I said!?' thought Sakura.

'FINALLY!' shouted Inner Sakura, pumping the air with her fists.

"Um Sakura? I think I may be hallucinating again. And I am really cold. May I go lay down?" asked Lee.

"Uh. Sure. I'll bring some soup in for you in a little while." Said Sakura, turning away so he wouldn't see her blush. Good. Maybe he thought he was just hearing things. "Oh, and take this." She handed him a small trashcan with a plastic bag in it. "That's in case you have to throw up again."

Lee smiled kindly, taking it from her and turned to walk back into the guest room. Sakura pulled a can of soup out of her cabinet, thinking about that whole situation.

'What the heck is going on?' thought Sakura.

'Haven't you figured it out yet?!" shouted Inner Sakura.

'But… It can't be that, can it?' thought Sakura.

'Oh, but it is.' Chimed Inner Sakura.

In deep thought, she didn't even notice that she was pouring the soup all over the counter. When it dripped onto her foot, she gasped and jumped away. She silently cursed as she grabbed a towel off the counter and wiped the cold soup off the floor. She threw it into the hamper in the hall, and pulled a new can out of the cabinet. This time, she made sure to pay attention to what she was doing.

After a few minutes of heating it over the stove, and cooling it on the counter, she carried it back into the guest room. Lee was awake, but his eyes were closed, in order to block out the brightness of the room. Sakura placed the bowl next to him on the counter, and sighed. She thought he was asleep. He was about to open his eyes when he heard her begin to speak, so he decided just to listen, assuming she knew he could hear her.

"I may as well not fight this anymore." She whispered. Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Fight what?" asked Lee, with his eyes still closed. Sakura gasped.

"Oh! Lee! I didn't know you were awake." Said Sakura.

"But you were talking." He said, curiosity lacing his voice. "You said 'I may as well not fight this anymore.'" He quoted. "What are you fighting?" She panicked. It was a good thing his eyes were closed, or he would have been able to see the blush that was slowly consuming her face.

"Um…nothing!" she said with a small nervous chuckle.

"You are much like myself, Sakura. We are both very bad liars." Said Lee with a small smile. "Now what is bothering you? Maybe I will be able to help."

'Always so considerate.' Said Inner Sakura in an infatuated tone.

'Aw hell! I can't do this anymore! I need to tell him!" thought Sakura. Lee opened his eyes and winced at the light that instantly infiltrated them. He turned to Sakura and stared at her in concern.

"Sakura?" he asked.

"Lee…I-I don't know h-how to s-say this e-exactly." She stuttered. He looked genuinely worried for her.

"You can tell me anything, Sakura." Said Lee reassuringly.

"I…I lo-" she trailed off. "Oh hell!" She put her hand on the back of his head, and pulled him into a kiss. He tensed, and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. When she didn't feel him respond, she parted herself from his lips and frowned. She stared directly into his wide, slightly glazed over eyes. He shook his head and looked at her.

"You should not have done that, Sakura!" scolded Lee. She winced and her frown grew. Lee was rejecting her. It hurt much more than he would ever be aware.

"You could get sick." Said Lee.

She opened her eyes and smiled. Oh! He wasn't rejecting her. He was just worried for her health. She surprised him when she leapt onto the bed, with her legs above the covers, and on either side of his own.

"I don't care. You're worth it." She said, as she brought her lips down to his once again. He was startled, but soon closed his eyes and enjoyed her sweet taste. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. They stayed like that for a long time, only parting because of a lack of oxygen.

"Wha- …when…" said Lee. She put a finger to his lips, successfully shutting him up.

"I don't know when. I don't know how, or why. All I know is that I love you." said Sakura. Lee smiled and started giggling like an idiot. Sakura furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Ohhhh! I am hallucinating again!" said Lee. She frowned and held him tighter.

"No, Lee. This is real." Said Sakura.

"But…I have had this dream many times, so I cannot trust you. Every time I fall for that I wake up in pain." Said Lee quietly. She pulled away to look into his eyes.

"I'll prove that this is real." Said Sakura. She pinched his arm, causing him to yelp in pain. He grasped the newly formed cut and looked Sakura in the eye.

"That…hurt." He said in disbelief. "Dreams do not hurt."

She focused her chakra and placed it on his arm, quickly healing the wound.

"That's the point. Now do you believe me?" she asked. Tears pricked the corner of his eyes and streamed down his cheek. She gently wiped them away with her finger.

"You…you really love me?" he asked quietly.

"More than anything." She whispered. He smiled and hugged her tightly.

"I have been waiting way too long to hear you say that." He whispered, while stroking her hair with his free hand.

"I know…I'm sorry." Said Sakura.

They separated and he suddenly looked panic stricken.

"Wait! If this is real…then that means that you really _did_ kiss me!" said Lee.

"Yes." Said Sakura, a little confused.

"What if I am contagious?" said Lee worriedly.

"Then I will probably be sick by tomorrow morning, and we will just have to stay in this bed together." Said Sakura. Lee had the biggest smile she had ever seen, and that was really saying something.

"Okay!" said Lee happily. "Than would you like to share this soup with me before it gets cold?"

They had fallen asleep together, embraced in each other's arms. Unfortunately, Sakura had forgot that she had a training session with team Kakashi that morning, and he was worried about her. She had never missed a training session in her life. So now Kakashi was in search of his student.

Sakura and Lee were still asleep, lightly snoring, thanks to the fact that they now _both_ had stuffy noses. She had taken off her dress, and was down to a tank top and underwear. Lee was still wearing his green boxers.

Kakashi appeared in front of her door, and knocked lightly. He feared the worst when no reply was heard. He could sense her chakra signature inside, and…someone else's. It was familiar, but he couldn't place whom it belonged to. Panic quickly overtook him. Was it possible that whoever it was was holding Sakura hostage?

He pulled out the spare key that she had given to him when she first got her apartment. She made very clear that it was only to be used in an emergency, and he considered this one of those times.

The door flung open, and Kakashi instinctively took a defensive stance. Nothing. He could faintly hear snoring from the guest room. Slowly, he neared the door, and pushed it open.

Panic was quickly replaced by a blind fury. There was Sakura, in the arms of Rock Lee. He could see that she was wearing a shirt, but he certainly was not. Were they even wearing underwear? He couldn't tell since the sheets covered them.

And why were they so sweaty and flushed?

Oh Rock Lee would pay…

"You two had better wake up now." Said Kakashi calmly. They didn't move. A cruel smile pulled at his lips behind the mask. He pulled up his headband, revealing his sharingan eye, purely for intimidation reasons.

"Get your hands off of her!" he shouted. Lee and Sakura instantly shot up. Lee nearly fell off the bed, but Sakura caught him.

"Kakashi sensei?! What-" started Sakura. Kakashi interrupted her.

"I'll be the one asking questions around here! What the hell are you doing in bed with her!?" shouted Kakashi to Lee. Lee blushed, realizing what Kakashi must have thought.

"It is not what you think!" started Lee urgently.

"Sakura, you're only seventeen!" said Kakashi.

"Kakashi sensei! Calm down!" said Sakura.

"And why did it have to be Lee?!" he asked, pointing to the terrified boy. Sakura was suddenly pissed.

"And what is wrong with Lee!?" she shouted, causing Kakashi to take a cautious step back. Unfortunately, nausea set in, and she had to leap out of the bed, grabbing the trashcan. She vomited into the can, all the while, Lee looked guilty, and Kakashi looked shocked.

"Did you get her pregnant?" grumbled Kakashi in a deadly tone.

"N-no!" stuttered Lee.

"I swear, I will-"

"Stop!" shouted Sakura, staring at Kakashi, with the trashcan still positioned in her hands. "Lee did _not _get me pregnant, because we did _not_ have sex!"

"Then what _is _going on?" asked Kakashi, not believing her in the least.

Sakura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and sat down on the end of the bed, pulling the covers over her lap.

"Lee and I _are_ a couple now, but we didn't do anything." Said Sakura.

"You expect me to believe that?" asked Kakashi.

"Yes I do. Because it's the truth." Said Sakura.

"Then why did Lee look so guilty when you were throwing up?" asked Kakashi accusingly. "Or better yet, why were you throwing up at all?"

"Because I have the flu. And he feels guilty because he gave it to me. I found him asleep at the training grounds yesterday, and took him here so I could keep an eye on him. We fell asleep together and that's all." Said Sakura.

"How did you catch it from him? You're a medic ninja. You should know how to avoid catching things from your patients." Said Kakashi.

"I kissed him." Answered Sakura matter-of-factly. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in suspicion.

"Why would you do that if you knew he was sick?" asked Kakashi.

"Because I love him." She said, as if it was obvious.

"Excuse me!" said Lee, making his presence known. He was clutching his stomach. "I am sorry to interrupt, but can you please pass the trashcan?"

"Sure." Sakura handed it to him as if it was a gift. He accepted it with a lovesick grin and glazed eyes.

"Thank you." he said kindly, just before empting the contents of his stomach. Sakura ignored him and turned back to Kakashi.

"Anything else?" she asked, irritation fastened in her tone.

"Why are you both in your underwear?" he asked.

"You would want to ditch the layers too if you kept breaking into cold sweats throughout the night." Answered Sakura. "Look, I'm done explaining to you. Please shut the door on your way out, and have a nice day."

Kakashi stared as she climbed back under the covers, taking her place beside Lee. He was still skeptical, but their story seemed to check out. Lee leaned over the side of the bed, and put the trashcan on the floor. It smelled pretty bad, but it wasn't bothering either of them since they couldn't smell. Kakashi however, did notice, and decided to take care of it for them. It was the least he could do for waking both of them up in their ill state.

He emptied the bag, and put a fresh one in. Sakura thanked him, as she slipped back into a deep sleep. Kakashi shut the door to the bedroom, and walked back into the hallway of the apartment building. No sooner then when he shut the door, did Gai come charging in his direction.

"Kakashi! You have to help me! Lee didn't show up to training this morning! And he isn't at his apartment! I know he hasn't been feeling well lately! Do you think he's-" Gai stopped and turned toward Sakura's door. "Is he in there? I can sense his chakra signature. Is he okay!?" shouted Gai in a panic.

"Gai, calm down. Wait! Don't go in there or-" Kakashi's words went unheard as Gai turned the knob and walked in, much like Kakashi did that morning. He opened the door to the guest room, and stood silent as he took in the sight before him. Sakura and Lee were once again, asleep in each other's arms.

"Gai?" asked Kakashi quietly. Gai continued to stare, still holding the doorknob.

Sniff "I am so proud!!" shouted Gai.

This time, Lee did fall off the bed. He groaned and lifted himself off the floor with shaky arms. Sakura was about angry enough to kill, and Kakashi saw the murderous intent in her eyes.

"Ah heh heh! Don't mind us! We'll be going now." Said Kakashi, as he put his hand over Gai's mouth. He grumbled against his palm, and tried to break away, but couldn't. Lee crawled back into bed, while Kakashi forcefully dragged Gai from the apartment.

"If one more person interrupts our sleep, I'm going to-" Sakura started, but was stopped as Lee attempted to wrap his arm around her so they could go back to sleep. Then the door burst open…again.

"Hey forehead!" shouted Ino. Chattering could be heard behind her. She and the rest of the rookie nine, including Neji and Tenten, fell silent.

"SAKURA!? LEE?!"

"That is it!" shouted Lee. "I am sorry but-" he slammed the door to the guest room shut, right in their faces, and locked it. He turned and walked back into bed for what he hoped was the last time this morning.

Sakura was grumbling death threats under her breath. She knew she would have a lot of explaining to do when she woke up. That should be interesting. But for now, she was happy to finally fall into a restful sleep with her boyfriend holding her, even if they did have the flu.


End file.
